now       vve. 


BSI70 
.H84 


s.t 


i^ 


to* 


^^ 


^^  Has  ^^olagir^j  ^ 


^^. 


'♦. 


PRINCETON,  N.  J 


^. 


Division  !S--r..?Tr:....' 


Section . 


v^ 


How  We 
Got  Our 
American 
Standard 
Bible 


THE  PERFECT 
BIBLE  ISSUED 
BY  THE  OLDEST 
BIBLE  PUBLISH- 
ING   FIRM    IN   THE 


BIBLE   PUBLISHERS   FOR   50  YEARS 

37-41    EAST  18th  STREET,     NEW  YORK 


"  We  believe  the  American  Standard 
Bible  is  the  product  of  the  highest  scholar- 
ship, and  further,  we  believe  that  it  more 
nearly  brings  the  message  of  God  to  his 
children  than  any  other  of  the  great  ver- 
sions. We  are  glad  to  note  its  increasing 
use.  Three  years  ago  this  Association 
approved  of  this  American  Standard  Re- 
vision, and  we  again  commend  it,  and 
earnestly  urge  its  use  in  our  schools." 
^Adopted  by  the  Sunday  School  Edit- 
orial Association  at  its  Annual  Meeting, 
June  8th,  1906. 

(Signed)  C.  R.  Blackall,  Sec'y. 

*  The  above  resolution  was  unanimously  adopted  bv 
the  Sunday  School  Editorial  Association  composed  of 
the  Sunday  School  Editors  and  Lesson  Writers  of  the 
United  States  and  Canada  at  their  Annual  Meeting  of 
all  the  denominations,  June  8th,  1906. 


Since  the  year  1816,  the  American  Bible 
Society  has  published  only  the  King 
James  Version  of  the  Scriptures,  but  re- 
cognizing the  merits  of  the  work  of  the 
American  Committee,  and  to  meet  the  de- 
mands, of  Churches  and  Sunday  Schools, 
the  Society  has  recently  had  its  charter 
amended  so  as  to  enable  it  to  publish  the 
American  Standard  Bible. 

The  Society  therefore  arranged  with  the 
publishers,  Messrs.  Thomas  Nelson  & 
Sons,  and  are  issuing  an  edition,  bound 
in  cloth  only,  specially  for  church  and 
Sunday  School  use. 

This  endorsement  of  the  American 
Standard  Bible  by  the  American  Bible 
Society  emphasizes  the  great  merits  of 
this  work,  and  is  in  harmony  with  all  the 
other  great  religious  authorities. 


THE  STORY 

jHE  Bible  is  composed  of  sixty-six 
(66)  different  books  written  by 
about  forty  (40)  men  selected 
and  inspired  by  God. 
These  inspired  men  first  wrote 
the  Old  Testament  scriptures  in  Hebrew  and 
the  New  Testament  scriptures  in  Greek,  and 
our  English  Bible  of  to-day  consists  of  a 
series  of  translations  and  revisions  from  the 
Hebrew, Syriac, Greek, Latin  and  Anglo-Saxon 
languages,  beginning  at  the  tenth  century. 
It  is  estimated  that  there  are  in  existence 
at  the  present  time  nearly  4,000  manuscripts 
in  whole  or  in  part  of  the  Bible.  All  of  the 
older  and  more  complete  sacred  manuscripts 
have  become  available  for  study  only  within 
recent  years;  among  these  a  single  leaf  con- 
taining a  portion  of  Matthew's  Gospel  was 
unearthed  in  1895.  This  is  believed  to  be  a 
full  century  older  than  the  most  ancient  Greek 
New  Testament  manuscripts  in  existence. 

It  was  not  until  1384  that  the  first  complete 
Bible  was  translated  into  Enghsh  by  John 
Wycliffe.  A  hundred  years  later  this  was 
followed  by  a  translation  and  revision  made 
by  WilHam  Tyndale,  which  was  the  first 
printed  Bible,  all  previous  editions  having 
been  in  manuscript  only.  Tyndale 's  Bible 
was  followed  by  the  Great  Bible;  this  was 
followed  by  Matthew's  Bible,  which  was 
almost  wholly  copied  from  Tyndale 's.  StilJ 
another  Bible  largely  based  on  Tyndale 's 
was   issued  called  Taverner's  Bible.     Other 


translations  and  revisions  following  in  the 
next  few  centuries  were  the  Great  Bible  of 
Cranmer,  The  Greneva  Bible  which  is  some- 
times called  the  Breeches  Bible,  and  others. 

This  brings  us  down  to  the  time  of  the 
translation  and  revision  of  the  Bible  which 
is  called  the  King  James  Version,  which  was 
completed  in  1611,  after  seven  years  devout 
study  by  the  most  prominent  scholars  of  that 
time.  The  King  James  revision  was  the 
first  translation  into  what  may  properly  be 
called  the  English  Language. 

It  is  now  nearly  300  years  since  the  King 
James  Bible  was  revised  and  translated  into 
its  present  form,  since  which  time  the  most 
authentic  and  accurate  manuscripts  of  the 
Bible  have  been  discovered,  the  Alexandrian 
in  1628,  Sinaitic  manuscripts  in  1859,  which 
contains  the  New  Testament  entire  and  the 
greater  partof  theOld  Testament.  These  and 
a  mass  of  other  and  later  discoveries,  including 
many  ancient  manuscripts  and  inscriptions, 
together  with  the  fact  that  Philologists  have 
acquired  a  much  more  accurate  understand- 
ing of  the  ancient  languages  gave  rise  to 
comparisons  which  completely  changed  the 
meaning  of  a  large  number  of  passages  in 
the  King  James  Bible;  besides  this,  the 
gradual  transformation  and  change  of  the 
English  language  in  the  course  of  300  years 
made  a  re-translation  all  the  more  imperative, 
as  in  the  lapse  of  time  the  significance  of 
many  words  have  been  completely  altered, 
while  others  have  become  obsolete  and    ob- 


Since  the  translation  and  revision  of  the 
King  James  Bible  upwards  of  forty  English 
Dictionaries  have  been  issued.  For  the 
reasons  above  stated,  it  was  deemed  necessary 
that  a  new  translation  and  revision  of  the  Bible 
be  made.  This  was  begun  in  England  in  1870, 
and  in  the  United  States  in  1872.  The  Ameri- 
can Committee  was  divided  into  two  compan- 
ies, one  for  the  Old  Testament  and  another 
for  the  New  Testament.  These  committees 
were  composed  of  the  foremost  scholars  of 
America,  representing  all  the  great  religious  de- 
nominations as  well  as  the  universities  and 
colleges  of  the  United  States,  and  their  work 
was  finished  in  1901,  thus  covering  a  period  of 
nearly  thirty  years  of  consecutive  labor  and 
study  in  the  preparation  of  the  American 
Standard  Bible. 

The  American  Standard  Bible  is  a  new 
translation*  of  the  Bible  in  the  light  of  twenti- 
eth century  scholarship  and  knowledge,  using 
the  marvelous  and  priceless  manuscripts  and 
other  material  which  have  been  discovered 
in  the  last  300  years. 

It  represents  fifteen  years  of  study,  con- 
sideration and  preparation  by  a  company 
of  the  most  eminent  Biblical  scholars  of  all 
the  Evangelical  denominations  of  Great 
Britain  and  America,  and  fifteen  years  of 
additional  devout  study  and  prayerful  con- 
sideration by  the  American  Committee  who 
continued  their  organization  after  the  English 
company  disbanded.  The  American  Stand- 
ard Bible  therefore  is  the  product  of  thirty 

*  Edited  by  the  American  Revision  Committee  with  its 
attestation  on  the  back  of  the  title  page  and  published  by 
Thomas  Nelson  &  Sons. 


years  continuous,  careful  study  by  the  emi- 
nent American  scholars  representing  the  great 
Universities,  Theological  Seminaries  and 
Evangelical  demominations  of  America. 

It  was  a  labor  of  love,  reverently  under- 
taken by  these  scholariy  ministers  and  teach- 
ers, for  the  good  of  humanity  and  the  glory 
of  God.  Their  time  and  the  results  of  their 
long  experience  were  freely  given  without 
pay  or  compensation. 

The  American  Standard  Bible  was  pre- 
pared because  in  the  older  versions  there  are 
admitted  inaccuracies  in  translation,  obscuri- 
ties due  to  words  and  phrases  which  are  no 
longer  in  common  use  and  many  errors  in 
the  ancient  text  followed  by  the  old  translators. 
All  these  inharmonies  have  been  found  to 
cause  serious  misunderstandings  and  to  hide 
from  the  devout  seeker  the  real,  true  and 
clear  meaning  of  the  passage.  Words  have 
changed  their  significance  in  the  course  of 
years  and  many  words  in  the  older  versions 
give  a  wrong  impression  to  the  reader  of  to- 
day. All  the  great  nations  have  had  new 
translations  of  their  Bible  during  compara- 
tively recent  years  and  in  no  language  has 
this  been  so  necessary  as  in  the  English,  be- 
cause the  changes  in  it  have  been  so  numerous 
and  the  growth  so  great. 

The  revisers  who  prepared  the  King  James 
Bible  completed  their  workinaboutseven  years. 
The  American  Committee  was  nearly  thirty 
years  in  preparing  the  American  Standard 
Version  of  the  Bible — thus  giving  nearly  five 
times  the  length  of  time  to  their  work.  It  is 
the  work  of  the  best  American  scholarship, 
6 


focussed  upon  every  word  and  phrase.  ^  It 
has  the  advantage  of  all  the  accumulated 
wisdom  and  scholarship  of  the  world  since 
the  publication  of  the  King  James  Version  in 
1611.  In  addition  to  all  these  added  re- 
sources, are  the  authentic  and  valuable  manu- 
scripts which  have  been  discovered  since  that 
time.  Bible  study  has  made  marvelous 
progress  and  the  revelations  of  modern  arch- 
•ology  throw  a  new  light  of  interpretation, 
enabling  scholars  of  the  present  day  to  reach 
the  real  meaning  of  the  sacred  writers  with 
an  accuracy  never  before  possible  in  the 
history   of   the   world. 

The  American  Standard  Bible  is  the 
most  accurate  in  translation,  the  most 
thorough  in  method,  simplest  in  expression, 
and  gives  a  clearer  conception  of  the  thought, 
than  any  other  translation  yet  produced. 

The  American  Standard  Bible  is  iix 
paragraph  form,  which  is  the  form  of  the 
original  manuscripts,  and  preserves  the 
sequence,  strength  and  spirit  of  the  real  Bible, 
as  no  other  translation  has  ever  done. 

Its  accuracy,  clearness  and  simplicity  make 
it  eminently  the  people's  Bible.  Every 
stumbling-block  to  the  perfect  understanding 
of  the  Word  has  been  removed,  so  far  as  lay 
within  the  power  of  the  wisest  Chris tiar 
scholarship.  The  translation  into  dignified 
but  living  English  of  the  present  day  removes 
the  difficulty  from  many  of  the  passages  that 
have  been  puzzling  and  misleading  to  thou- 
sands. It  does  not  require  a  scholar  to  in- 
terpret this  Bible,  though  it  required  many 
scholars  to  produce  it. 


The  unqualified  approval  of  the  leading 
ministers  of  all  denominations,  presidents  of 
colleges,  theological  seminaries,  of  Bible 
training  schools,  the  leading  critical  journals, 
the  great  religious  papers  of  the  world,  pro- 
fessors, and  scholars,  attest  that  for  them, 
as  well  as  for  the  general  public,  the  Amer- 
ican Standard  Bible  is  the  most  perfect 
English  Bible  in  existence.  This  approval 
has  been  won  by  the  American  Standard 
Bible  in  less  than  a  brief  five  years.  Hun- 
dreds of  colleges  and  seminaries  through- 
out the  country  use  it  in  their  regular  chapel 
services  and  as  a  text  book  in  Bible  study. 
In  fact,  there  is  not  an  important  college 
that  has  not  indorsed  it  by  word  or  use. 
Thousands  of  clergymen  of  all  denominations 
give  this  edition  the  first  place  in  their  studies, 
in  the  pulpit,  and  in  the  pew,  and  in  countless 
homes  of  the  nation  it  is  taking  its  place  as 
the  Bible  of  the  household. 

,      THEREFORE 

Every  American  lover  of  the  grand  old 
Book  of  Books  should  recommend  and  buy 
the  American  Standard  Bible  because  it 
is  the  best  version  of  the  World's  Best  Book. 
They  should  recommend  and  buy  it  because 
it  represents  the  best  thought  and  study  of 
the  best  equipped  Bible  scholars  of  the  age. 
They  should  buy  it  because  it  represents  the 
concrete  scholarship  of  the  past  two  thousand 
years.  They  should  buy  it  because  a  larger 
number  of  competent  scholars  were  engaged 
on  the  American  Standard  Bible  than  on 
any  former  translation.     They  should  have 


it  because  these  translators  spent  a  much 
longer  time  than  was  ever  given  to  any  trans- 
lation in  any  language.  They  should  study 
it  because  these  translators  had  the  use  of 
the  latest  and  best  manuscripts,  unknown  to 
former  revisers.  They  should  buy  it  because 
the  unanimous  verdict  of  the  best  scholarship 
and  of  the  common  people  of  the  world,  after 
five  years  of  examination  and  use,  is,  that 
this  is  the  best  translation  ever  made  into  any 
language. 

In  the  selection  of  general  Hterature,  the 
thoughtful  reader  exercises  great  care  as  to 
authorship,  authenticity,  beauty  of  style  and 
other  hterary  quahties.  Should  we  not 
exercise  even  greater  discrimination  and  care 
in  a  matter  of  such  vital  importance  as  the 
selection  of  our  Bible  ? 

FINALLY 

All  living  language  is  progressive  and  this 
applies  to  the  language  of  the  Bible,  as  well  as 
to  all  literature.  Upwards  of  forty  English 
Dictionaries  have  appeared  since  King  James 
Bible  saw  the  light  in  1611,  each  marking  a 
step  farther  ahead  in  the  transformation  of 
the  Enghsh  language.  A  Bible  is  demanded 
which  reproduces  as  closely  as  possible  the 
very  thought  and  sense  of  the  ancient  writers, 
clothed  in  modern  form,  intelhgible  to  all,  and 
free  from  the  errors  of  previous  translators. 

These  requirements  are  fulfilled  in  the 
American  Standard  Bible,  which  corrects 
some  2,000  inaccuracies,  obsolete  phrases  and 
misinterpretations  that  are  found  in  the  Eng- 
lish Revised  Version. 


What  Authorities  Say 

The  unanimous  verdict  of  the  best  Chris- 
tian Scholarship  and  of  the  common  people 
of  the  world,  after  five  years  use  and  ex- 
amination, is,  that  the  American  Standard 
Bible  is  the  best  translation  ever  made  in  any 
language. 

READ  WHAT  THEY  SAY 


Rev.  G.  Cam  - 
BELL  Morgan,  D. 
D.,  says: 

"  I  certainly  value 
it,  and  am  using 
that  edition  con- 
stantly. It  is  by 
far  and  away  the 
best  translation  that 
we  have  had." 


Wm.  R.  Moody, 
of  Northfield,  Mass. 
says : 
"The  American  Standard  Bible  is  some- 
thing every  Christian  worker  should  have." 


John  R.  Mo  it,  General  Secretary  of  World's 
Student  Christian  Federation, 'N.Y.  C.  says: 

"I  find  it  most  stimulating  and  helpful  to 
turn  to  the  use  of  this  version,  having  used 
other  veisicns  all  the  rest  of  my  life." 


Rev.  J.  Wilbur 
Chapman,  D.  D., 
Corresponding  See 
retary.  The  Gene- 
ral Assembly's  Com- 
mittee on  Evange- 
listic Work,  Winona 
Lake,  Ind.,  says: 

"The  translation 
of  this  edition  is 
more  accurate  than 
that  of  any  other.  I 
have  myself  been 
very  slow  to  adopt 
the  use  of  the  American  Standard  Bible, 
but  it  will  be  my  pleasure  from  this  time  on  to 
emphasize  the  use  of  your  special  edition," 


Prof.  Ira  M. 
Price,  Ph.D.  LL. 
D.,  University  of 
Chicago,  in  The 
S  u  n  day  Schod, 
Times,  says: 

"The  most  per- 
fect Enghsh  Bible 
in  existence.  It 
embodies  in  itself 
the  greatest  num- 
ber of  good  quali- 
ties, and  is  the  best 
representative  of 
the  ripest  scholar- 
ship at  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  and  the  be- 
ginning of  the  twentieth  century." 


Rev.  Henry  W. 
Warren,  D.  D.. 
BwhopM.E.Church, 
says: 

"I  use  this  version 
exclusively  in  my 
study  and  in  quo- 
tations for  the  press. 
Consider  it  very  de- 
cidedly preferable 
to  the  King  James 
Version." 


Rev.  J.  W.  McGarvey,  President  College 
of  the  Bible,  Lexington,  Ky.,  says: 

"We  use  it  both  in  chapel  and  all  of  our 
classes.  Immensely  preferable  to  King  James 
Version.  It  is  folly  to  use  the  Authorized 
Version  any  longer  anywhere.  It  avoids 
many  false  renderings  of  the  Authorized 
Version  and  many  false  readings  of  the  Greek 
from  which  the  Authorized  Version  was  trans- 
lated, and  it  is  truer  to  modern  EngUsh  than 
the  English  Revision." 


Rev.  J.  S.  Stahr,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  President 
of  Franklin  and.  Marshall  College,  Lancaster, 
Pa.,   says: 

"  I  prefer  the  American  Sfandard  Bible  as 
gix'ing  a  better  translation  of  the  original 
Greek,  and  I  feel  that  it  ought  to  be  generally 
introduced." 


Rev.  C.R.Black- 
ALL,  D.D.,  Editor 
of  Periodicals,  Am- 
erican Baptist  Pub- 
lication Society, 
Philadelphia ,  Pa . , 
says: 

"I  earnestly  wish 
that  it  might  be 
adopted  as  stand- 
ard in  every  Church 
and  Sunday  School 
the  world  over." 


Rev.  H.  a.  Butts,  D.D.,  LL.  D.,  President 
of  Drew  Theological  Seminary,  Madison,  N. 
J.,  says: 

"  It  represents  the  best  of  American  scholar- 
ship and  as  such  may  fitly  have  a  place  among 
our  people  and  in  our  institutions  of  learning." 


J.  H.  Garrison, 

Editor  of  The 
Christian  Evang- 
elist, St.  Louis,  Mo., 
says: 

"I  not  only  use, 
but  I  recommend  it 
constantly  through 
our  paper  as  the 
best  version  of  the 
Bible  in  English 
now  in  existence." 


Rev.  J.  T.  Mc- 
Farland,  D.D., 

Editor,  S.  S.  Litera- 
ture for  the  M.  E. 
Church,     says : 

"We use,  through 

the      courtesy      of 

Thomas      Nelson 

&  Sons,    the   text 

of     the     American 

Standard      Version 

in  our  Sunday  School 

Journal    and    Bible 

Student's   Magazine 

and  in  ourannual  vohmie,  The  Illustrative  Notes. 

We  do  this  because,  in  the  first  place. 

We  consider  this  to  be  the  most  accurate 

translation  of  the  Bible,  which  is  the    first 

essential  'to  the  student,  and  because  also 

It  is  the  simplest  and  clearest  in  its  lang- 
uage, and  so  the  most  easily  understood  by  the 
average  person. 

While  of  inestimable  value  to  the  scholar, 
it  is  also  preeminently  the  version  of  the 
Scriptures  for  the  common  people." 


Rev.  J.  T.  McFarland.  D.D. 


Rev.  J.  G.  Merrill,  D.D.,  President  Fisk 
University,  Nashville,  Tenn.,  says: 

"I  am  glad  to  say  that  I  own  a  copy  of  the 
American  Standard  Bible  and  that  I  use  it 
constantly  and  the  chief  reason  why  I  prefer 
i  t  to  the  King  James  Version  is  that  I  regard 
it  as  containing  the  Word  of  God  more  fully 
than  King  James  or  any  other  version  that 
I  know  of." 

'4 


W  I  L  B  E  R  T       W. 

White,  President 
of  Bible  Teachers^ 
Training  School, 
New  York,  says: 

"We  use  exclu- 
sively the  American 
Standard  Bible  in 
our  School.  We  do 
this  because  we  be- 
lieve that  it  isthebest 
English  version  of 
theBible  published.'* 


Rev.  H.  a.  Buchtel,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Presi- 
dent University  of  Denver,  Denver,  Col.,  says: 
"  I  use  the  American  Standard  Bible  quite 
all  the  time.  Our  professor  of  the  English 
Bible  uses  the  American  Standard  in  his 
class   work  "  _^ 

Charles  Gall- 
audet  Trumbull, 
says: 

"It  is  not  a  new 
Bible.  It  is  the 
same  old  Bible  that 
our  fathers  and  fore- 
fathers read  and 
treasured.  But  the 
American  Version 
brings  the  messages 
and  truths  and  eter- 
nal promises  of  that 
Bible  closer  home  to 
us  than  ever  before." 


Charles  Gallaudet  Trumbull 
Elditor  S.  S.  Times 


»5 


Rev.A.W.  Pitzer, 
D.D.,LL.D.,  Wash- 
ington, D,  C,  says: 
"The    merits    of 
the  American  Ver- 
sion   are    so    many 
and    manifest    that 
I  cannot  undertake 
to     mention     them 
in  detail;  my  won- 
der    is     that     any 
scholar  should  hesi- 
tate for  a  moment 
to     give     this     the 
preference  over  any 
English  translation  that  has  been  made.    The 
Washington  City  Bible  Society,  of  which  I  am 
president, has  cordially  indorsed  this  version.'* 


W.  G.  Ballantine,  International  Y.  M.  C. 
A.  Training  School,  Springfield,  Mass.,  says: 

"In  this  School  we  regard  the  American 
Version  of  the  Bible  as  preferable  to  all 
others.  Those  who  still  cling  to  the  old 
King  James  Version  voluntarily  deprive 
themselves  of  all  that  Christian  scholarship 
has  gained  in  exact  knowledge  of  the  Bible 
during  the  last  three  hundred  years." 


J.  P.  Sheraton,  Principal  Wycliffe  College, 
Toronto,  Canada,  says: 

"It  more  nearly  fulfills  the  conditions  that 
i^ust  be  reahzed  in  an  ideal  English  Version, 
than  any  other  translation  in  existence." 


Rev.  William  F. 
McDowell,  D.D., 
Bishop  M  .E. Church, 
says: 

"When  the  Re- 
vised Version  of  the 
Bible  waspubhshed 
about  twenty  years 
ago,  careful  students 
were  disappc*  ited 
that  the  suggestions 
of  the  American  re- 
visers had  not  been 
adopted  and  made 
a  part  of  the  text.  Now  after  twenty  years, 
I  believe  there  is  general  satisfaction  that  an 
American  Standard  Version  of  the  Bible  has 
been  published.  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that 
I  regard  it  as  altogether  the  most  satisfactory 
version  of  the  scriptures  in  existence." 


R.  S.  MacAr- 
THUR,  D.D.,  Cal- 
vary Baptist  Church, 
New  York  City, 
says: 

"The  best  edi- 
tion of  the  Bible 
ever  given  to  Eng- 
lish readers.  I  wish 
it  were  in  use  in 
all  our  homes  and 
churches.  I  use  it 
exclusively  in  my 
pulpit." 


Dr.W.W.  Moore, 
of  Union  Theologi- 
cal Seminary, -^says: 
"We  do  not  think 
it  too  much  to  say 
that  this  is  the 
best  version  of  the 
Scriptures  that  has 
ever  been  made. 
The  American  Re- 
vision is  by  far  the 
most  exact  and 
faithful  translation, 
and  also  the  most 
accurately  and 
beautifully  printed  Bible  that  has  yet  appeared." 


Rev.  R.  a.  Laps- 
ley,  Editor  of  Sun- 
day School  Litera- 
ture for  the  Pres- 
byterian Church 
(South),    says: 

"  We  place  the 
Text  of  the  Sabbath 
School  lesson  in  the 
American  Standard 
Version  at  the  begin- 
ning of  our  special 
lesson  treatment  in 
the  Earliest  Worker; 
and  I  take  pleasure 
in  testifying  to  its  value  as  retaining,  to  a  large 
extent,  the  unrivaled  Hterary  charm  of  the 

Authorized  Version." 
iS 


Rev.  O.  W. 
Powers,  D.  D., 
Pres.  American 
Christian  Conven- 
tion, says  : 

"  The  American 
Standard  Bible  will 
be  the  authoritatiTe 
translation  for  gen- 
erations. This  fact 
alone  is  a  sufficient 
reason  for  its  im- 
mediate adoption, 
especially  for  teach- 
ing purposes.  It  is 
not  fair  to  the  children  in  our  Sunday  Schools 
to  impose  upon  them  the  double  burden  of 
becoming  familiar  with  two  versions.  To 
cUng  to  the  common  version  is  but  to  prolong 
the  period  of  confusion.  Besides,  it  is  well  to 
avoid  the  puzzle  of  obsolete  words,  and  the 
embarrassment  of  uncouth  and  offensive  ex- 
pressions which  we  would  not  allow  to  another 
book  intended  for  common  use.  While  teach- 
ing the  children  the  Bible,  let  us  give  it  to 
them  in  the  best  possible  form." 


Rev.  George  U.  Wenner,  President  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Synod  of  New  York  and 
New  Jersey,  says: 

"  The  American  Standard  Bible  has  re- 
moved many  stumbling  blocks  from  the  way  of 
a  ready  comprehension  of  the  meaning  of  the 
Scriptures.  It  is  to  be  commended  to  all 
who  desire  a  clearer  knowledge  of  the  Word." 
19 


Unsolicited  Endorse- 
ment  and  Testimo- 
nial from  the  Great 
Oriental  Biblical 
Scholar, 

Rev.  Jacob 
Chamberlain,  M. 
D.,  D,  D.,  LL.  D., 
Coonoor,  India, 
says: 

"  After  reading 
the  testimonials 
from  Occidental 
Bible  scholars,  it 
has  occurred  to  me 
that  you  might  like  to  know  how  the  Ameri- 
can Standard  Bible  strikes  one  who  looks 
at  it  from  the  standpoint  of  an  Oriental 
Bible  translator  and  reviser. 

"In  our  work  in  the  re- translation  of  the 
Bible  into  the  Telugu  language,  we  were 
in  contact  with  the  work  of  the  English  and 
American  Committees  as  the  revision  was 
going  on.  I  was  elected  a  corresponding 
member  of  the  Committee  in  1877,  and  given 
access  to  their  findings  and  confidentially 
used  them  in  advance  in  our  work  in  Telugu. 
I  also  met  members  of  the  Enghsh  companies 
and  confidentially  talked  over  matters  with 
them  in  London. 

"Having  been  engaged  for  more  than 
twenty  years  as  Chairman  of  The  Telugu 
Bible  Revision  Committee,  in  the  re-transla- 
tion of  the  Bible  from  the  Originals  into  one 
of  the-Principal  Languages  of  India,  and  hav- 
ing at  times  had  open  before  me  on  my  table 


TRANSLATIONS  OF  THE  BiBLE  IN  ELEVEN 

LANGUAGES  to  note  the  peculiar  turn  of  an 
idea  in  particular  passages,  and  having  watch- 
ed with  intense  interest  the  work  of  the  Eng- 
lish and  American  Revisers  from  the  first, 
and  now  having  used  the  Completed  Work 
of  the  final  American  Revision  Committee 
since  its  first  issue  in  1901,  I  am  free  to  say 
that  I  regard  the  American  Standard  Bible 
as  the  most  accurate  and  vivid  rendering  of 
the  Hebrew  and  Greek  Originals  of  any 
version  yet  issued  IN  ANY  LANGUAGE. 

"For  the  last  five  years  it  has  been  of  the 
utmost  use  to  me  in  my  daily  work  in  prepar- 
ing a  New  Oriental  Bible  Dictionary  from  an 
Oriental  standpoint  for  Oriental  people,  for 
often  its  new  turn  of  thought  or  expression, 
more  hke  the  Oriental  Originals,  has  been 
very  suggestive  of  explanations  for  an  Orien- 
tal people. 

**It«  is  to  my  mind  incomparably  the  best* 
English  Version  yet»  issued  for  all  true 
seekers  after  the  Real  Revealed  Thoughts 
of  God.** 


The  Bible  Study  Secretaries  of  the  Inter- 
national Committee  of  Young  Men's  Christian 
Associations  on  February  25th,  1907,  recom- 
mended the  American  Standard  Bible  for  use 
in  Association  Bible  Classes. 


IN   COLLEGES  AND  SEMINARIES 

Among  the  Colleges,  Theological  Seminaries, 
Bible  Training  Schools,  etc.,  etc.,  using  the  Ameri- 
can Standard  Version,  are  the  following: 

Adelphi  College,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

Albany    College,    Albany,    Ore. 

Albright  College,  Myerstown,  Pa. 

Alma  College,  Alma,  Mich. 

Amer.  University  of  Harriman,  Harriman,  Tenn. 

Arkansas  College,  Batesville,  Ark. 

Auburn  Theological  Seminary,  Auburn,  N.  Y. 

Baker  University,  Baldwin.  Kan. 

Baldwin  University,  Berea,  Ohio. 

Baylor  University,  Waco,  Texas. 

Beamsville  Bible  School,  Beamsville,  Ont. 

Belle vue   College,    Belle vue,   J\eb. 

Beloit  College,  Beloit,  Wis. 

Berkeley  Bible  Seminary,  Berkeley,  Cal. 

Bible  Teachers'  Training  School,  New  York. 

Blackburn    College,    Carlinville,    111. 

Boston  University,  Boston,  Mass. 

Butler  College,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

California  College,  Oakland,  Cal. 

Carson  and  Newman  College,  Jefferson  City,  Tenn. 

Central    University,    Pella,    Iowa. 

Central    Wesleyan    College,    Warrenton,    Mo, 

Chicago  Training  School,  Chicago,  111. 

Christian  Biblical  Institute,  Stanford ville,  N.  Y. 

Coe  College,  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa. 

Colgate  University,  Hamilton,  N.  Y. 

College  of  the  Bible,  Lexington,  Ky. 

Colorado  College,  Colorado  Springs,  Col. 

Columbia  University,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Cornell  University,  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

Cotner  University,  Bethany,  Neb. 

Dakota  University,  Mitchell,  S.  D. 

Delaware    College,    Newark,    Del. 

DePauw  University,  Greencastle,  Ind.] 

Doane    College,    Crete,    Neb. 

Drake  University,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

Drew  Theological  Seminary,  Madison,  N.  J. 

Earlham  College,  Richmond,  Ind. 

Eureka  College,  Eureka,  111. 

Findlay    College,    Findlay,    Ohia. 


French  American  College,  Springfield,  Mass. 

Furraan  University,  Greenville,  S.  C. 

Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  Evanston,  111. 

German   Wallace   College   and   Nast  Theological 
Seminary,  #Berea,    Onio. 

Girls'  Latin  School,  Baltimore,  Md. 

Guilford  College,  Guilford,  N.  C. 

Hamilton  College,  Chnton,  N.  Y. 

Heidelberg  University,  Tiflfin,  Ohio. 

Hillsdale  College,  Hillsdale,  Mich. 

Hiram  College,  Hiram,  Ohio. 

Hope    College,    Holland,    Mich. 

Howard  University,  Washington,  D.   C. 

International  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Training  School,  Spring- 
field, Mass. 

Iowa  State  College,  Ames,  Iowa. 

Kentucky  University,  Lexington,  Ky. 

Lebanon  Valley  College,  Annville,  Pa. 

Macalester  College,  St.  Paul,  Minn. 

Maryland   College  for  Women,   Luther ville,   Md. 

McCormick   Theological   Seminary,    Chicago,    111. 

Miami  University,  Oxford,   Ohio. 

Missouri  Valley  College,  Marshall,  Mo. 

Mount  Holyoke  College,  South  Hadley,  Mass. 

Nebraska  Wesleyan  University,  University  Place, 
Neb. 

Northwestern  College,   Naper ville,   III. 

Northwestern  University,   Evanston,   111. 

Oberlin  College,  Oberhn,  Ohio. 

Oberlin  Theological  Seminary,  Oberlin,  Ohio. 

Ottawa  University,  Ottawa,  Kan. ' 

Otterbein  University,  Westerville,  Ohio. 

Parsons'   College,   Fairfield,  Iowa. 

Penn  College,  Oskaloosa,  Iowa. 

Potter  Bible  College,  Bowling  Green,  Ky. 

Presbyterian  Theological  Seminary  of  Kentucky 
Louisville,   Ky. 

Providence  University,  Oak  Hill,  Ohio. 

Rad cliff   College,    Cambridge,   ISIass. 

Rochester  Theological  Seminary,  Rochester.  N.  Y. 

Rutgers  College,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J. 

Scarritt  Bible  and  Training  School,  Kansas  City, 

Southern  Baptist  Theological  Seminary,  Louisville, 
Ky. 

Swarthmore  College,  Swarthmore,  Pa. 

13 


Talladega   College,   Talladega,   Ala. 
Texas  Christian  University,  Waco,  Texas. 
Theological  Seminary  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 

Princeton,   N.  J. 
Theological  Seminary  of  the  Refonned  Church  in 

America,   New  Brunswick,   N.  J. 
Trinity  University,  Waxahachie,  Texas. 
Union  Biblical  Seminary,  Dayton,  Ohio. 
Union  Theological  Seminary,  Richmond,  Va. 
University  of  Alabama,  University,  Ala. 
University  of  California,  Berkeley,   Cal. 
University  of  Chicago,  Chicago,  lU. 
University  of  Denver,  Denver,  Col. 
University  of  Southern  California,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 
University  of   Wooster,   Wooster,   Ohio. 
Upper  Iowa  University,  Fayette,  Iowa. 
U.  S.  MiUtary  Academy,  West  Point-,  N.  Y. 
U.  S.  Naval  Academy,  Ajqjcrap'olis;,  Md.    *"  ,".. 
sVassar  College,  Poughkefepfeie,  N.  Y. 
Washington  and  Jeff  Aeon  CoUfege,  Washington,  Pa; 
Washington  and  Lee  University,  Lexington/  Va. 
Wellesley   College,   WelleMeyv   Mass. 
Wesleyan  Theological  CoU^e,  Mo9treal;  Canada. 
Western  Bible  and  Literals  College,  Odessa^  Mo. 
Western  Maryland  C611e|^' •WestitfinSt<^r,*Md. 
Western  Theological  Seminary,;  Allegheny,  Pa. 
Western  University  of  Pennsylvania,  Allegheny,  Pa. 
Westminster  College,  New  Wilmington,  Pa. 
Whitman  College,  Walla  Walla,  Wash. 
Woman's  College  of  Baltimore,  Baltimore,  Md. 
Yale  University,  New  Haven,  Conn. 
Yankton  College,  Yankton,  S.  D. 


It  is  a  noble  work,  destined  to  become  the  accept- 
ed Bible  of  the  majority  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race; 
and  we  are  tempted  to  wish  that  it  might  be  adopted 
as  the  one  final  revised  version  of  the  English- 
speaking  world.  The  present  volume,  it  is  believed, 
will  on  the  one  hand  bring  a  plain  reader  more  closely 
into  contact  with  the  exact  thought  of  the  sacred 
writers  than  any  version  now  current  in  Christen- 
dom, and  on  the  other  hand  prove  especially 
serviceable  to  students  of  the  Word. — London 
Quarterly  Review. 


DATE  DUE 

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How  we  got  our  American  standard  Bible 

Princeton  Theological  Semmary-Speer  Library 


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